Accumulator stranding machine



Aug' 13, 1968 H. SEEGER 3,396,525

ACCUMULATOR STRANDING MACH INE Filed Oct. 6, 1966 INVENTQR. Hel nz Seeger BY @Mw @r AT TORNEY United States Patent O 3,396,525 ACCUMULATOR STRANDING MACHINE Heinz Seeger, Langenhagen, Germany, assignor to Frisch Kabelund Verseilmaschinenbau G.m.b.H., Ratingen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Oct. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 584,699 4 Claims. (Cl. 57-59) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stranding machine of the accumulator type having sets of pulley wheels mounted on opposite ends of an accumulator frame, the sets of wheels being displaceable to selected positions on the frame to facilitate the stranding operations.

In known stranding machines, either the elements being stranded are drawn from a rotating supply means and the stranded product is wound on a take-up roller whose rotational axis is xed in space; or the strand elements are drawn from a stationary, freely accessible supply means and the stranded product is wound Aan a reel by means of take-up and winding apparatus that rotates about the stranding apparatus. With such a reel by the same rotates about its axis and also rotates in a plane at right angles to the stranding assembly.

With machines known as Yoke or Double-lay machines, one can, however, draw strands from iiXed, freely accessible supply means and the axis of the take-up reel is `fixed in space. However, such a reel is constantly encircled by the yoke and is therefore, not freely accessible; and further, the dimensions thereof are quite limited. All such machines have a common disadvantage in that, the revolving masses which are generally quite large, increase or decrease continuously 'during the stranding operation. Also, the supply of strand elements as well as the stranded product are not freely accessible during the operation. Consequently, take-up speeds, rotational speeds and the lengths of stranded product that can be produced in one run depend on each other reciprocally and can be changed above a maximum value only in individual cases with time consuming interruptions in operations.

There have, however become known stranding machines where the strand elements are drawn from Ifixed, freely accessible supply means and where the stranded products with a given direction of stranding lay, is accumulated in a rotating accumulator device as it rotates. When the accumulator is filed, its direction of rotation is changed, the product therein is payed-off and at the same time and with the same speed stranded product with an opposite direction of strand lay, is taken up.

With cables or cable rope produced in this manner, the direction of lay changes in Vfact at linear intervals that correspond to the storage capacity of the accumulator device and care must be taken that at the point where the lay changes direction, no kinking of the stranded elements occurs. Nevertheless with such machines it is possi-ble to draw without halt, arbitrary lengths and, by limiting the capacity of the accumulator device with correspondingly smalll rotating constant masses, to achieve very high speeds of operation.

In such machines, termed accumulator-stranding machines, the accumulator device consists of an elongated cage or frame which rotates about an axis parallel to its longest edge. The device has sets of wheels, each consisting of one or more wheels closely spaced, which are located at the opposite ends thereof. Each set of wheels rotate freely about an laxis and their planes of rotation lie in a plane containing the axis of rotation of the frame.

In advance of the accumulator device is a nipple serving as a stranding point to which the strand elements 3,396,525 Patented Aug. 13, 1968 are fed. After stranding, they enter the accumulator device and are fed, as by a set of pulleys, alternately on a wheel of the first set, then over a wheel of the second set, then again over a wheel of the first set, etc., until they pass from the last wheel of the second set to means located immediately adjacent the accumulator device for protecting the stranded elements from kinking at vthe point where the direction of lay changes. Such means can take the form of a belt spinner.

It is evident that in such accumulator stranding machines, the distance between one point where the direction of the lay reverses, and another point, depends on the length of material which has been taken up by the accumulator device. lf one wishes to increase the spacing between these points of reversal, then one must increase the quantity of material taken up in the accumulator device.

The present invention relates to an accumulator stranding machine in which the accumulator device consists of sets of wheels accommodated in an elongated cage or frame and the elements to be stranded are led to the sets of wheels in pulley-like fashion. The resultant stranded product then passes to takeup means, not shown, in a manner well known in the art and typically suggested in Patent No. 3,169,360 to Corrall et al.

In the instant machine, one or both sets of wheels mounted in the frame, may be moved along the direction of stranding. This arrangement allows for a maximum dislplacement of the shafts on which the sets of wheels are mounted, thereby making for a substantial increase in the quantity of material taken up in the accumulator.

It is apparent that such arrangement also allows for decreasing the spacing between the sets of wheels to any desired value, leading to a smaller spacing of the points where the direction of lay reverses in the manufacture of cable or the like.

In one form of the invention, the sets of wheels may be moved relative to each other, during operation of the machine. For this purpose, worm gear drive, or a differential or planetary gearing are particularly suited for the power transmission.

Further, such displacement of the sets of wheels may be of an order that is greater then the maximum length of lay intended in the operation of the machine, with beneficial effects accruing therefrom. As pointed out above, the spacing of the points where the change in lay occurs depends on the accumulating capacity of the machine. On the other hand, to prevent kinking of the lay at the points of reversal, one attempts to divide the number of lays so that they lit evenly between the points of reversal. A potential remainder would lead to kinking.

It is possible to assume, by adjustment of the number of turns, that the same number of turns are led around the left and around the right; it is not always possible to make the spacing of the points of reversal exactly an integer .multiple of the length of the lay. By adjustment of the number of turns around the left and right, one can achieve a condition wherein the number of lays multiplied by the length of the lays approximates the length between the individual points of reversal. However, a remaining difference can not be compensated through adjustment of the number of turns to be set only. With the instant invention, compensation is permitted of even such a remainder, by adjustment of the sets of wheels during operation so that the number of lays multiplied by their lengths becomes exactly equal to the spacing between the points of reversal.

In the drawing, FIG. l is a side elevational view showing essential parts of the invention;

FIG. 2. is a top plan view showing one end thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end view `showing another embodiment of the invention.

As Ishown in FIGS. 1, 2, the frame of the accumulator deviceris'indicated at 10,with one set of wheels 11 in the form of pulleys mounted on a shaft 13 which is mounted at one end of said trame 10. A second set of pulley wheels 15 is mounted on a shaft 416, whose opposite ends are mounted in blocks 17 Iwhich are arranged for slidable movement in elongated slots 18 formed in the sides of frame 10. A pair of lead screws 19 are mounted on the sides of frame 10, being journaled at their opposite endsV in bearings 20, 21.

Blocks 17 have a threaded bore engagement with lead screws 19 and one lead screw 19 terminates in a crank handle 22 whereby by turning such handle, the set of wheels 15 may be displaced 4in directions toward and away from set of wheels 11. Thus, the displacement of wheel sets 11, 15 allows for adjustment of the accumulator capacity.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the frame indicated at 30 with its shaft 31, the blocks previously described, not shown, engage with lead lscrews which terminate at one end in pinion gears 32. Pinion gears 32 mesh with a ring gear 33 which also meshes with driving gears 34. Normally, gears 34 rotate at a speed equal t0 the rotational speed of shaft 31. However, by accelerating or braking gears 34, relative motion is produced and the blocks carrying the set of wheels 15 will be displaced relative to the set of wheels 11.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an accumulator stranding machine, an accumulator frame, a set of wheels comprising a plurality of laterally related ,pulleys mounted at each end of said frame in longitudinally displaced relation to each other, and means for displacing one set of wheels from the other set of lwheels, in the direction of stranding.

2. In a machine as in claim 1, wherein displacement means comprises shaft means for mounting one set of wheels, block means at the opposite ends of said shaft, gear means mounted on said frame and operatively engaged with said block means, and means for rotating said gear means wherebyto longitudinally displace said block means and the set of wheels associated therewith.

3. In a machine as in claim 2 wherein said gear means comprises a lead screw, said blocks being formed with a threaded bore for engaging said lead screw.

4. In a machine as in claim 3 wherein further gear means is engageable with said .rst gear means for rotating said rst gear means, said frame lbeing rotated at a given speed and said further gear means is adapted to be operated at .speeds dilerent from said given speed to eect displacement of said last mentioned set of wheels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,907 7/1920 Barker 57-59 XR 1,966,423 7/ 1934 Damon. 1,981,083 11/ 1934 Somerville 57-66.5 2,342,343 2/ 1944 Hotchkiss 57-66.5 XR 2,874,006 2/ 1959 Sloyan. 2,985,027 5/1961 Murray. 3,251,178 5/ 1966 Stirling 57-59 XR 2,956,391 10/1960 Demmel et al 57--60 3,169,360 2/1965 Corrall et al 57-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 58,355 8/ 1937 Denmark.

910,431 5/ 1954 Germany.

239,713 9/ 1925 Great Britain. 1,011,865 4/ 1952 France.

FRANK L. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

